A textbook, an overnight train, an 11-year-old: the faces of the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar

4 min readJun 6, 2026 02:20 PM IST

NEET paper leak controversy brought hundreds of students, parents and job aspirants to Jantar Mantar in Delhi, where the Cockroach Janta Party-led protest demanded accountability for alleged examination irregularities. (Express Photo)

A 16-year-old NEET aspirant clutching a Class XII chemistry textbook. A postgraduate student off an overnight train from Rewa. A father who had brought his 11-year-old son along to “show him what the country’s education system had become.” They were among the hundreds who gathered at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, answering a call from the online youth movement Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

The protest was called by Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the CJP, to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Soon by noon, hundreds had already gathered in support, many chanting slogans against exam irregularities, including the NEET paper leak that has since been mired in controversy.

Amid double security checks, CJP supporters reached Jantar Mantar as early as 7:30 am in the morning, wearing cockroach masks and carrying posters. They had travelled overnight from different cities and states. Not only youth but also senior supporters had gathered — some were current NEET aspirants, while others were there to protest what they described as years of systemic failure in the education system.

Among them was a 16-year-old who had come with her elder sister, Zainab. Both are NEET aspirants.  The younger sister is still preparing, while Zainab, after her second attempt, has decided not to. “I gave NEET this year. We’re from Gaya, Bihar, and shifted into a single room in Mukherjee Nagar to prepare. Our parents cannot afford preparations going on for so long, as institution fees are very costly,” she said.

Her younger sister held onto a class XII Chemistry book as she protested against this year’s paper leak. “I thought my paper went well and was hoping to clear it, but when I heard the news, I couldn’t process it for three days,” she said. “I’m still preparing now, but what is the guarantee that it won’t be leaked again? Why are the ministers not answering this?”

Sanjeev Kumar, 23, travelled from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh on an overnight train to join the protest.

His demand was simple. “Why there is no accountability for any wrong doing? …There is no shame left.” He contrasted the scrutiny he had faced while appearing for GATE in 2025 with what he saw this year. “It was so easy that a person looking like me [referring to lax identity checks] could also get inside the exam centre. If the opposition points this out, they are called anti-national.” His brother had appeared for the UP police exam last year, which also got leaked and has left his family unsure about examinations, and whether his sister should prepare for NEET at all.

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Vidya Kant Chaturvedi, 23, had come from Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. “I wanted to come here to show that we are the youth and we are the responsible ones,” he said. Since leaving school in 2021, he has appeared for several exams, including NEET and defence services, often travelling from home to centres in other cities. Now pursuing an MSc, he spoke of a family dream. “My family wanted a doctor in the family. I couldn’t clear it, but my younger brother gave the 2024 attempt, which also had many irregularities. He is very bright, but still couldn’t become a doctor.”

A father-son duo from Tagore Garden in Delhi had also come to protest. Apoorva Jyotwani, 43, arrived with his 11-year-old son. “Students are becoming suicidal and parents are suffering too, so he should know what country we are living in, what its education system offers, and what his future will look like four or five years down the line,” he said. “The education system has really derailed, while school fees are sky-rocketing. We often speak at home about what is going on in India, but he should also see it and understand.”